An attack on an Orlando, Florida, gay nightclub early Sunday left 50 people dead and 53 more wounded, making it the deadliest mass shooting ever on U.S. soil. The gunman pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State shortly before the shooting, and his father said he was recently enraged by a gay couple kissing, according to media reports.

The attack took place during Pride Month, when LGBT individuals across the nation celebrate their communities.

In response, LGBT rights and gun control groups released statements on social media and their websites in the hours after news about the mass shooting began to emerge. Many groups moved quickly to offer condolences and shine a light on the issues of discrimination and hate crimes, as well as the sheer number of gun violence victims in the U.S.

The Pink Pistols, a group dedicated to self-defense for LGBT individuals, urged others not to blame guns for the incident. "This is exactly the kind of heinous act that justifies our existence. At such a time of tragedy, let us not reach for the low-hanging fruit of blaming the killer’s guns," said Gwendolyn Patton, the organization’s first speaker. "Let us stay focused on the fact that someone hated gay people so much they were ready to kill or injure so many."

The largest pro-gun group in the U.S., the National Rifle Association, has stayed quiet since the shooting. Gun Owners of America tweeted that gun control could not have stopped it, as did the National Association for Gun Rights.

Gun Owners of America

Evil struck in Orlando yesterday morning. No matter how tragic, no amount of gun control could've stopped evil. https://t.co/5ERnBH7aky